Kennewick Businessman Pleads Guilty to COVID Relief Fraud
A Kennewick businessman has pleaded to multiple counts of COVID relief fraud, in US District Court in Spokane.
Man accused of filing fake COVID relief claims
According to the US Attorney's Office for Eastern WA, 54-year-old David Kurt Schneider, pleaded guilty to Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud and Bank Fraud.
He admitted he, along with two other defendants, filed fraudulent CARES (COVID relief act) claims totaling $265,000 for PPP (personal protection program) funding, and filed another $560,000 in other COVID fund requests that were not approved. He used several of his businesses as the 'front' for the applications.
The businesses included Solar Mobility, listed in Kennewick, and Real NZ Water, also listed to Kennewick as LLCs with his name.
According to the Tri-City Area Journal of Business and the US Attorney's Office:
"According to the plea agreement, Schneider and others submitted funding applications in the name of Larsen Firearms, owned by co-defendant Leif Gerald Larsen, and Solar Mobility LLC, RealNZ Water LLC, and Tempest Tactical Solutions, LLC, all owned by Schneider."
Schneider will be sentenced on August 13th of this year at US District Court in Yakima.
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